Keurig for the common cold: Campbell’s to make instant K-Cup soups

I can’t decide if this is the best or worst thing to happen to Keurig coffee machines. The Keurig, as you might know, is the popular single serve coffee maker sold everywhere from Costco to Macy’s to Walmart. The accompanying K-Cups are pretty diverse as well, with an array of anything from Caribou Coffee and Starbucks joes, to hot apple cider and Snapple iced teas. These machines don’t make the best coffee in the world, but it’s useful for those who don’t mind sacrificing quality for the convenience of a one-touch dispense.

But readers, pray tell, if you wouldn’t mind sacrificing the quality of soup if it meant you could now make some with your Keurig machine?

Soon enough, you’ll find yourself at this crossroad. Campbell Soup Co. has officially announced that it will begin manufacturing K-Cup versions of its infamous soup line designed to be brewed over a packet of dry pasta and vegetables. Campbell’s says the portion is more of a snack size, so don’t start falling back on these when you’re too lazy to make real dinner … or rely on them as zombie apocalypse food.

According to Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Keurig’s manufacturer, the machine is designed to clean the brewing system each time it makes a new cup, so the soup and coffee won’t mix in the machine if you make them back-to-back. Phew, no clam chowder-hazelnut coffee here. Campbell’s CEO Denise Morrison says K-cup soups represent the company’s push into higher-growth areas, just like it has with its portable “Go” soups which can be consumed with just one hand. Whether there was actually a big mobility problem with soups before this design solution is, of course, another discussion.

Campbell’s plans to release three variety of its K-Cup soups by next year, including the classic comfort staple: Chicken broth and noodle. Little details are available about nutritional facts, but I mean, instant Campbell’s chicken noodle. Surely someone will find the added convenience worth the strangeness of making soup in a coffee machine.

Needless to say, if we get the chance to taste test, we’ll keep you posted on the matter.